Kelly Named ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Week
April 10, 2017 | Men's Lacrosse
GREENSBORO, N.C. – North Carolina senior midfielder Stephen Kelly is this week's Co-Defensive Player of the Week in the Atlantic Coast Conference after a record-setting day Sunday night in Carolina's 15-12 win over #14 Virginia.
Kelly led the Tar Heels in a 15-12 victory at No. 14 Virginia on Sunday night by matching program records for face-offs won in a game with 23 and ground balls in a game with 15. The 23 faceoffs won matched Shane Walterhoefer's total against Ohio State on April 12, 2008, and Kelly is the seventh Tar Heel to collect 15 ground balls in a game. Kelly now has 658 face-off wins in his career, the second most in UNC history as he passed R.G. Keenan Sunday night and into second place. Kelly won 11 of 12 faceoffs in the first half as UNC bolted to a 9-2 halftime lead. He also scored the eventual game-winning goal for the Tar Heels with 12:28 to play, giving UNC a 13-8 lead in its eventual ACC win.
With two games left in the regular season, Kelly now ranks second in UNC history in face-offs won and fourth in ground balls.
